Republicans launch 2012 claims with trips to Iowa

Just two weeks and after the last US presidential election ended, the next one has unofficially begun.

By Alex Spillius in Washington

7:35PM GMT 20 Nov 2008

Still smarting from Barack Obama's substantial victory for the Democrats, Republicans hopeful of competing against him in 2012 have begun visiting Iowa, the state that kicks off the presidential campaign every four years, to drum up early support.

As with this year's election, the process has started earlier than ever, with Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, making two stops in the mid-Western state yesterday, where he won this year's caucuses only to lose the nomination to Senator John McCain.

Between and after signing autographs of his book about the campaign in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines yesterday, Mr Huckabee was set to meet and greet supporters and activists and begin the process of signing them up for a possible campaign, which would begin in early to mid 2011.

Bobby Jindal, the young Louisiana governor with ambitions to become the first Asian American presidential candidate, will follow Mr Huckabee with an appearance in Iowa tomorrow [sat] as the main speaker at the Iowa Family Policy Center's Celebrating the Family banquet.

Following protocol, candidates will deny they are interested in a run at the presidency, while continuing to visit Iowa over the next couple of years.

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"They always find an excuse to visit," said John Feehery, a Republican strategist. "It might look early to some people, but not to people who want to be president. There are only so many activists to go around and they need to have them on board."